Valentino announced dropping the use of real fur: 'The stance is entirely in line with our company's values'

Valentino announced dropping the use of real fur: 'The stance is entirely in line with our company's values'

Rome: In a move welcomed by Italian campaigners on May 19 as a "nail in the coffin for the brutal fur trade", Valentino has become the latest fashion powerhouse to discard real fur.

The iconic Italian house said it would cease production at the Milano-based fur company, Valentino Polar, later this year and the final collection to include fur would be the 2021–22 season.

"The fur-free stance is entirely in line with our company's values," Valentino CEO Jacopo Venturini said in a statement.

"In view of the greater focus on the environment for the upcoming collection, we are fully advancing in research of alternative materials."

The decision follows a growing number of big fashion names abandoning the use of animal fur, including Armani, Prada and Gucci.

Martina Pluda, Italy's director for the campaign group Humane Society International, said Valentino's decision is "a big nail in the coffin for the brutal fur trade".

"Like many other designers, Valentino knows that using fur makes brands look old and out of touch, and the fur industry certification schemes are little more than an industry's hollow PR spin that produces 100 million animals for fur in a year. Kills, "he said.